Unit 2. Myths & Folklore of the World Roman traditions.

When Westerners think of myth,

they think in terms of Greek and Roman myth as
Introduction
the foundation of all myths because of their well-
From earliest childhood we are captivated by the worked-out stories of Gods and heroes, wars to
sounds of the human voice telling a story. There is fight and monsters to defeat.
an elemental, magnetic pull to hear the myths,
The Glory that was Greece
fables and parables that are a part of our varied
cultures. We learn early life lessons from these
wise folktales with their colorful characters and
episodes. In this unit, we will explore the many
stories that are treasured by different continents in
the world and learn about their traditions and
culture. Myths and folklores provide a basis for
moral boundaries and establish the basic
guidelines for the way people within a society live.
As you learn about myths and folklore from around
the world, you will find that many cultures have
similar stories. It will help you develop strong
reading skills, model positive character traits,
appreciate other tradition, learn about decision Greek myths and legends form the richest, most
making, explore new ways of seeing the world and fertile collection of stories in Western culture, if we
discover a love of stories. As a pre-service teacher exclude the Bible.
it is important that you will have your own personal
experiences with these stories so you can bring Yet despite their diversity they tend to share a
them into the classroom and be used as tools to common outlook on life. The Greeks cherished life
develop literacy and genuine love for reading and believed in living it to
among your learners.
the fullest degree, since death was an inevitable
fact. While the mystery cults accepted the idea of a
resurrection after death, they were a minority. To
Intended Learning Outcomes: Homer death was a dismal state, whereas life itself
A. Identify the mythological deities, themes and was dangerous, thrilling, glorious. If the ordinary
archetype in each culture’s myth and folklore. person was bound to perish, so were the great
royal dynasties and the mightiest heroes. But this
B. Explain the characteristics of gods and goddesses idea did not sadden the Greeks as it had the
of ancient mythology and how this belief is Babylonian scribes who wrote of Gilgamesh. The
reflected in the present through literature and Greeks responded with enthusiasm. They felt the
movies only answer to death that was worthy of a man was
c. Describe creation stories where animals play an to carve an imperishable legend by magnificent
important role and describe the symbolic nature of deeds. The Greeks pursued fame with astonishing
animals as portrayed in myths and legends energy in the five centuries from Homer to
Alexander the Great. They were a tough, restless,
D. Name the pantheons of the world and ambitious, hard-living, imaginative race. But their
mythological cities attributed to them and how lust for reputation made them touchy about their
they impact on modern living honor, for they were also feisty and vengeful. Their
stories show all of these traits in abundance.
E.Recognize folkloric beliefs and practices through
motifs and symbols and the communal impact of The Olympian gods mirrored these Greek qualities
such. faithfully, being quarrelsome, unforgiving deities
who enjoyed warring, banqueting, and fornicating.
2.1 Classical Era They were always depicted in human form with
Classical mythology is a term often used to beautiful, powerful bodies. Thus they were not only
designate the myths belonging to the Greek and humanly intelligible but extremely pleasing to the
eye as well. The Greeks greatly admired strength, creation of the world is this: Gaia (the Earth)
beauty, and intelligence. And to them man was the mysteriously appeared from nothingness of space,
measure of all things. Few mythologies have by herself she gave birth to Uranus (the Sky) and
produced such a wealth of heroes. This was the together they were parents of the Titans. They were
natural result of the Greek urge for fame. The the primal Gods. Cronus, the youngest deposed
heroes tend to be adventurers and fighters — bold, Uranus and became king of the sky. He married his
experienced, fierce, strong, and often clever. Their sister Rhea, and they had six children. However,
feats were far above those of ordinary humanity. fearing that he would also be thrown out by his own
However, they also had serious failings that son, he swallowed his first five children. Rhea,
sometimes ruined them: flaws such as overweening managed to hide the sixth child, Zeus, from him.
pride, rashness, cruelty, which arose from the very The boy grew up in exile and eventually returned to
source of their successes — ambition. With Greek challenge his father, forcing him to release the
heroes ambition was intense, occasionally aspiring other children from his body. Zeus then led his
to godlike powers. As models of human excellence siblings to victory in a war against the titans. He
they provided standards for Greek youths to exiled the Titans, beneath the Earth and ruled Mt.
emulate. Olympus with his siblings and later his children.
The legends of tragic dynasties show this same
ambivalence. Despite their worldly power the royal
families of Crete, Mycenae, Thebes, and Athens
were afflicted with their own particular faults that
rendered them vulnerable to disaster: pride of
power, ruthlessness in getting revenge,
stubbornness in pursuing some goal, and sexual
conflict. No race has understood quite as clearly as
the Greeks how character is destiny, or how our
very achievements can stem from the same source
as crime.
In the tale of the Trojan War, the heroic and tragic
elements are blended. This is perhaps the finest
legend of Greek culture. The chief heroes of this World View. The Greek view of the world was a
story, Achilles and Hector, were doomed to a little different than ours. The Greeks believed that
premature and violent death, but there was a the world was flat, but circular, like a paper plate. At
measure of grandeur in their code of honor and in the center of the Universe was Greece. Their world
their defiance of fate. Most of the survivors, too, was divided by the Mediterranean, which means
were doomed or suffered a long ordeal. It was a “Middle of the Lands” in Latin. The river Ocean
war which no one would win. flowed around the world in a clockwise motion. In
the north lived the Hyperboreans – an extremely
In the end the ancient Greeks achieved the happy people
permanent fame they sought so avidly. And their
mythology has been a mainstay of Western art and
literature for well over two thousand years.
for whom life was sweet. When the old people
Creation Myths. Greek mythology is not only became tired of living, they threw themselves into
interesting, but it is also the foundation of allusion the sea. This was a land of constant vacation
and character genesis in literature. Although when where people were said to live for 1,000 years.
we think of mythology we think of a collection of
In the south lived the Ethiopians. In Greek drama,
stories, there is a beginning to them.
mention is often made of various gods being in
Understanding the beginning of the story, the Ethiopia, meaning really far away. The Ethiopians
creation of the world, gives us a framework to build were said to be on good terms with the gods and
upon as we learn about the different myths. The liked to entertain them.
short answer to how the Greeks viewed the
To the west were the Elysian Fields. This was the Iapetus was the Titan who fathered Prometheus,
closest the Greeks got to the idea of heaven; only Epimetheus, and Atlas.
the best and brightest of the dead people got to go
Other Titans include Coeus and Crius. Other
there.
Titanesses include Phoebe and Thea. Their
The Primordial Gods. The beginning of Greek attributes and functions were either forgotten or
mythology started with the creation. and from insignificant.
nothingness came the beginning of humankind.
Like the original twelve Titans, their children and
This is the Greek God chronicle. The Titans. Gaea
grandchildren were also called Titans. Prometheus
(Ge), the earth, and her son Uranus, the heavens,
was the wisest Titan, a benefactor to mankind,
produced the Titans, among other beings. The
whom he created. His name means "forethought."
Titans were the old gods who were supplanted by
Originally an ally of Zeus, he later tricked Zeus and
the Olympian gods. Their mother Gaea was
was chained in the Caucasus Mountains, where an
probably a neolithic earth-mother who was pushed
eagle fed upon his liver daily. Epimetheus was a
into the background by the patriarchal gods of the
stupid Titan whose name means "after-thought." He
Indo-Europeans who invaded Greece during the
accepted the gift of Pandora from Zeus; and
second millennium B.C., but her worship persisted
Pandora, the first woman, unleashed all the evils of
even into the Classical Age
the world on mankind.
Atlas, for warring against Zeus, was forced to bear
the vault of the heavens upon his shoulders at the
edge of the world.

Cronus was the chief Titan, a ruling deity who

obtained his power by castrating his father Uranus.
Cronus married his sister Rhea, and together they
produced the Olympian gods, whom Cronus
swallowed at birth to prevent them from seizing the
throne. His son Zeus defeated him and the other
Titans and bound them in the underworld. Cronus'
Latin name was Saturn. Rhea was Cronus' wife.
Vexed at having him swallow their children, she hid
Zeus from him and gave him a stone to swallow
instead. Oceanus was the unending stream that
encircled the world, a Titan, who with his wife
Tethys produced the rivers and the
three thousand ocean nymphs. Hyperion was the
Titan of light, the father of the sun, the moon, and
the dawn. The Muses, nine of them were
goddesses of inspiration in literature, science and
the art. Clio, Urania, Thalia, Terpsichore,
Melpomene, Erato, Euterpe, Polyhymnia and
Calliope. Themis was the Titaness of justice and
order. She gave birth to the Fates and the seasons.
.

Other Primordial Deities. Eros, along with

Gaea, was the child of Chaos in early Greek each year did the earth become fruitful. Her Latin
mythology. He represented the creative principle of name was Ceres. Apollo, the son of Zeus, was the
attraction that brings beings together, establishes god of light, of intelligence, of healing, and of the
friendships and marriages, creates cities, and so arts. His most important shrine was at Delphi,
on. In later myths he was the son of Aphrodite and where an oracle prophesied. Apollo had several
represented lust. love affairs and a few rejections that he punished.
He was also called Phoebus Apollo. Artemis was
The Cyclopes were one-eyed monsters, the
Apollo's twin sister and a daughter of Zeus. The
children of Gaea and Uranus. There were at first
goddess of chastity, she was a virgin huntress who
three of these storm-demons, and they represented
was shown carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows.
the thunder, lightning, and the thunderbolt. They
By some quirk she also presided over childbirth and
helped Zeus against the Titans. The
was associated with the moon. Her name in Latin
Hecatoncheires were three more monsters
was Diana.
produced by Gaea and Uranus. Each had fifty
heads and a hundred arms of prodigious strength. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was
These creatures represented the cataclysmic either born of the sea-foam or was the daughter of
forces of nature. Zeus. She represented sex, affection, and the
power of attraction that binds people together.
Briareus was distinguished by the fact that he once
According to some myths Hephaestus was her
served as Zeus's bodyguard. Together they helped
husband, Ares her lover, and Eros her son.
Zeus defeat the rebellious Titans. The Giants were
Aphrodite's Latin counterpart was Venus, a more
generated by
erotic goddess.
Uranus' blood when Cronus mutilated him.
Athena was the virgin goddess of wisdom, a warrior
Eventually they became powerful enough to attack
who sprang fully armed from the head of Zeus after
the whole Olympian order and were vanquished
he had swallowed the Titaness Metis. She was also
only after an earth-shattering battle. The Furies,
a goddess of the arts and the guardian of Athens.
who pursued and punished sinners, also sprang
Her chief traits were prudence and valor. She was
from the blood of Uranus. Specifically, they
sometimes called Pallas Athena. Athena's Latin
punished matricides.
name was Minerva. Hestia was the mild virgin
The Olympian Gods. Zeus was the supreme deity goddess of the hearth, the family, and peace. She
of the Greeks and was depicted as a robust, was Zeus's sister. Her Latin name was Vesta. Ares,
mature man with a flowing beard. At first a storm- the bullying god of war, was the son of Zeus and
god who wielded the thunderbolt, Zeus became the Hera. A brutal deity who delighted in slaughter and
All-Father who populated the heavens and the looting, he was also a coward. In his adulterous
earth by his promiscuous liaisons; and he finally affair with Aphrodite, Ares was caught and exposed
became the grand dispenser of justice. His palace to ridicule by her husband, Hephaestus. His Latin
was on Mount Olympus, together with the homes of name was Mars. Hephaestus was the lame, ugly
the other Olympians. Jupiter and Jove were his god of the crafts, a skilled artisan who created
Latin names. Hera was the jealous wife and sister many wonderful things. He was injured by his father
of Zeus, the protectress of marriage and childbirth. Zeus for defending Hera in a quarrel. He was
In several myths she was quite vindictive toward identified with the Latin god Vulcan, a deity of
those with whom Zeus fell in love. Her Latin name volcanic fire. Hermes, the cleverest of the Olympian
was Juno. Poseidon, a brother of Zeus, was lord of gods, ruled wealth and good fortune, was the
the sea and a god of horses. A wrathful, moody patron of commerce and thievery, promoted fertility,
god, he carried a trident and traveled in the and guided men on journeys. He was herald and
company of sea nymphs and monsters of the deep. messenger of the gods, a conductor of souls to the
His Latin name was Neptune. Demeter was Zeus's netherworld, and a god of sleep. Hermes was the
full sister, a goddess of vegetation and fertility. She son of Zeus and was depicted with a helmet,
had various lovers, including Zeus, and a daughter, winged sandals, and the caduceus. Mercury was
Persephone, who was taken by Hades. In his Latin name. Hades was lord of the underworld,
Demeter's grief the earth grew barren, and only the region of the dead. Since he was a brother of
when her daughter returned to her for six months of Zeus, he was sometimes included among the
Olympians. He was a stern, dark, inexorable god, shapes. There were also mountain nymphs, wood
and his kingdom was gray and lifeless. He nymphs, stream nymphs, and sea nymphs, all in
abducted Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, female form. The Gorgons were three hideous
and made her his queen. His Latin names were Dis dragonish sisters that could change men to stone at
and Pluto. a glance. Medusa was the most famous one.The
Sirens were sisters who sat on rocks by the sea
Other Gods. Hebe, the daughter of Zeus and Hera,
and lured sailors to their doom by singing to them.
was the goddess of youth and acted as a
Helios was the sun god, but he did not play a large
cupbearer to the gods. As a youth, Ganymede was
part in Greek mythology.
abducted by Zeus in the form of an eagle that
carried the boy to Olympus. There Zeus gave him Aeolus was the custodian of the four wind. Castor
immortality, made him his lover, and established and Polydeuces (or Pollux) were famous twins who
him as a cupbearer. Iris was the goddess of the protected sailors. Polydeuces' brotherly devotion
rainbow and sometimes a messenger of the gods. when Castor died made their names a by-word for
The Three Graces presided over banquets and fraternal affection. Proteus, the son or attendant of
festivities. They represented splendor, mirth, and Poseidon, had the ability to prophesy and to
good cheer. change his shape at will. Triton was the trumpeter
of the sea and was depicted blowing a large conch
The Nine Muses were part of Apollo's retinue and
shell. The Fates were three powerful goddesses
were the daughters of Mnemosyne, or memory.
who determined the lives of men. Clotho wove the
These were goddesses of inspiration: Clio of
thread of life; Lachesis measured it out; and
history, Melpomene of tragedy, Urania of
Atropos cut it off with her scissors of death.
astronomy, Thalia
Mythical Greek Geography. At the center of the
of comedy, Terpsichore of dance, Calliope of epic
earth towered Mount Olympus, where the gods
poetry, Erato of love verse, Euterpe of lyric poems,
lived and held court. Sometimes Olympus was
and Polyhymnia of sacred songs.
thought of as the actual mountain in Greece, but
Persephone was the lovely daughter of Zeus and more often it was a lofty region in the heavens.
Demeter, a goddess of springtime. After Hades
Around the earth ran a limitless river called Ocean.
abducted her she became the queen of the
On the northern shores of this river lived the
underworld. Proserpina was her Latin name.
Hyperboreans, a fortunate race of men who never
Dionysus, a fertility god and a god of the vine, was
knew care, toil, illness, or old age. This community
the son of Zeus and Semele. He served to liberate
was isolated from the rest of the world, being
the emotions and to inspire men with joy. Like the
unapproachable by land or sea. It enjoyed
grape vine, he suffered death but was resurrected.
perpetual light and warmth. To the West lay
His female worshipers were the frenzied Maenads.
Hesperia, the land of the evening star, where the
Yet out of his celebration grew the tragic theater.
golden apples of Hera were guarded by the dragon
He was also known as
Ladon and by seven immortal maidens, the
Bacchus, Latin Liber, a god of drunkenness. Pan, Hesperides. The western lands and seas were
the son of Hermes, was the god of flocks. He had populated with monstrous beings: the one-eyed
the torso and head of a man, but the hindquarters Cyclopes, the cannibalistic Laestrygonians, Scylla
and horns of a goat. A marvelous musician, he and Charybdis, the Sirens, and the Titan Atlas. But
played the pipes and pursued various nymphs, all also to the far west lay the Elysian Fields, or Isles
of whom rejected him for his ugliness. The Satyrs of the Blessed, where certain favored mortals went
were originally men with horses' haunches and when they died. In the far south were the
tails, two-legged as opposed to the four-legged Ethiopians, a lucky, virtuous people with whom the
Centaurs. But in Roman times they were confused gods banqueted. And in the East were the
with Fauns, or goat-men who roamed the woods. barbarians, or non-Greek-speaking races to whom
The Centaurs were principally savage beasts, half- the blessings of civilization were unknown. Beneath
horse and half-man. Chiron was the exception, a the disk of the earth was Tartarus, where the Titans
Centaur famous for his virtue and wisdom. The were confined, a vast, nebulous realm of darkness.
Dryads were tree-nymphs and had beautiful female Between earth and Tartarus was the underworld
kingdom of Hades, the ruler of the dead. The
entrance to this realm was guarded by Cerberus, The place was thought of as cavernous and dim, a
the three-headed dog. And once the departed joyless abode in which the dead gradually faded
spirits passed they had to be ferried across the into nothingness.
River Styx by Charon, the foul-tempered boatman.
The Glory that was Rome Greek goddess of wisdom. Other Roman gods and
goddesses who were adapted from Greek culture
The Roman Empire was a primarily polytheistic
include Venus, who drew on Aphrodite, goddess of
civilization, which meant that people recognized
love; Neptune, a sea god who was inspired by the
and worshiped multiple gods and goddesses.
Greek god Poseidon; Pluto, who ruled the Roman
Despite the presence of monotheistic religions underworld as the god Hades did in Greek culture;
within the empire, such as Judaism and early Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt who had her
Christianity, Romans honored multiple deities. They Greek equivalent in Artemis; and Mars, god of war,
who was fashioned after the Greek god Ares. Just
believed that these deities served a role in founding as the Greeks influenced Roman culture, the
the Roman civilization and that they helped shape Romans inspired the cultural development of later
the events of people’s lives on a daily basis. societies. You may by now have noticed that many
Romans paid allegiance to the gods both in public of the planets in our solar system were named after
spaces and in private homes. While the Roman Roman deities. Rome did have some of its own
state recognized main gods and goddesses by gods and goddesses who did not trace their origins
decorating public buildings and fountains with their back to Greek culture. For example, Janus was a
images, families worshipping at home also put god
special emphasis on the deities of their choosing.
The gods and goddesses of Greek culture
significantly influenced the development of Roman with two faces that represented the spirit of
deities and mythology. Due to Rome’s geographic passages such as doorways and gates. Believed to
position, its citizens experienced frequent contact preside over beginnings, it is fitting that the month
with the Greek people, who had expanded their of January is named after Janus. Janus’ son was
territories into the Italian peninsula and Sicily. As Tiberinus, the god of the river Tiber, which runs
the Roman Republic was rising to prominence, it through the city of Rome.
acquired these Greek territories, bringing them
According to Roman mythology, the gods had a
under the administration of the Roman state.
hand in the founding of the city of Rome itself.
Romans adopted many aspects of Greek culture,
Mars, god of war,
adapting them slightly to suit their own needs. For
example, many of the gods and goddesses of and a Vestal Virgin named Rhea Silvia were the
Greek and Roman culture share similar parents of twin boys, Romulus and Remus. Vestal
characteristics. However, these deities were Virgins were not permitted to marry or bear children
renamed and effectively re-branded for a Roman but were instead to devote their lives to serving
context, possessing names that are different from Vesta, goddess of the hearth. It is said that King
their Greek counterparts. Amulius ordered that the twins be thrown into the
Tiber River as a punishment to Rhea Silvia for
The main god and goddesses in Roman culture
betraying her vow of celibacy. Luckily, the boys
were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. Jupiter was a sky-
were rescued from the river by a mother wolf. She
god who Romans believed oversaw all aspects of
helped to raise them until a local couple adopted
life; he is thought to have originated from the Greek
them. As the boys grew up, they became important
god Zeus. Jupiter also concentrated on protecting
members of the community. They dethroned King
the Roman state. Military commanders would pay
Amulius and worked together to establish a new
homage to Jupiter at his temple after winning in
city. In a later argument about the city, however,
battle.
Romulus killed his brother Remus. Romulus went
Juno was Jupiter’s wife and sister. She resembled on to name the city after himself, calling it Rome (or
the Greek goddess Hera in that she kept a Roma). The presence and influence of gods and
particularly watchful eye over women and all goddesses were integral parts of life in the Roman
aspects of their lives. Minerva was the goddess of state. The people of Rome built temples to their
wisdom and craft. She watched over schoolchildren gods and observed rituals and festivals to honor
and craftspeople such as carpenters and and celebrate them. Any favorable or unfavorable
stonemasons. Minerva is thought to be the circumstances in Roman life could be attributed to
equivalent of the goddess Athena, who was the the mood of certain gods, so people would likewise
make offerings to the gods in thanks, or in an Jupiter, Jove (Zeus) reigned in the Roman
attempt to pantheon and defended the state, a god of celestial
phenomena and justice.
appease their tempers. Unlike many monotheistic
religious or spiritual traditions, the Romans gods Juno (Hera), the wife of Jupiter, a goddess of
were seen as caring little about the morality of the motherhood and childbearing.
Roman people. Rather, their chief concern was
Saturn (Cronus), the father of Jupiter, ruled Italy
being paid tribute through very specific rituals. We
during the Golden Age. The Saturnalia was held in
can still recognize traces of the Roman gods and
his honor, a winter festival in which masters and
goddesses in the artifacts that remain from the
slaves exchanged roles, a time of gift giving and
ancient civilization and the art that pays homage to
license.
them. Carvings of Janus still survive and statues of
Neptune spout water from city fountains. Today we Mars (Ares), the son of Juno, was a highly
appreciate the stories and mythology built around respected god of war but also an agricultural deity.
these deities as insights into what life was like over Thus he represented two primary Roman
2,700 years ago for the ancient Romans. preoccupations — farming and fighting. Vesta
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/gods- (Hestia) was a lovely goddess of the hearth and of
and-goddesses-ancient-rome/ sacrificial fire. Her temple was tended by the Vestal
Virgins.
In contrast to that of the Greeks, Roman mythology
seems arid and impoverished. As a rule the Ceres (Demeter) was a goddess of grain.
Romans were, not myth-makers, and the myths
they had were usually imported. The Roman gods Minerva (Athena) was a warrior goddess who also
were utilitarian, like the practical and unimaginative presided over commerce.
Romans themselves. These gods were expected to Neptune (Poseidon) was lord of the sea.
serve and protect men, and when they failed to be
useful their worship was curtailed. This does not Dis, Pluto (Hades) ruled the underworld of death.
mean the Romans lacked religious sentiment. They
Mercury (Hermes) was a god of commerce and
had a pantheistic sense of the divinities present in
messages.
nature. But their deepest religious feelings centered
on the family and the state. When the Romans Venus (Aphrodite), originally an agricultural
adopted the Greek gods from the third century B.C. goddess, was the deity of love, particularly sexual
on, these deities were simplified to conform to the love.
Roman religion. Mars was the chief god of the
imperial age, more honored than Jupiter, since he Cupid (Eros), her son, was the god of erotic
aided and symbolized the Roman conquests. The attraction.
writers who handled mythological subjects typically Vulcan, Mulciber (Hephaestus) was a god of fire
dealt with patriotic legends that glorified the Roman and warmth, of the forge and of volcanic eruptions.
past, or in love tales. Thus they paid tribute to the
state or to love, the basis of the family, in terms Liber, Bacchus (Dionysus) was the god of wine
derived from Greek mythology. Sometimes in their and drunkenness. Diana (Artemis) was a huntress,
borrowings they achieved true originality, as Virgil goddess of the woods and moon. Apollo was the
did in his epic poem, The Aeneid, or as Ovid did in god of truth and light, as in Greece.
his poetic compilation, The Metamorphoses.
Proserpina (Persephone), a goddess of spring,
The Roman Gods. The gods listed immediately the daughter of Ceres and wife of Pluto. The
following were the Roman adaptations of the Greek Numina were vague, protective powers that
gods. These had importance in both Roman
The Numina were vague, protective powers that
mythological writing and in the Roman religion.
inhabited nature and presided over daily human
Then we will list some of the purely native gods,
activities, the earliest gods.
who were significant mainly for the Roman religion
Janus was the god of beginnings, of doorways and
public gates, of departures and returns. The statue
of Janus in his temple had two faces, a young one
that looked toward the rising sun and an old one honor his father who had died a year earlier,
that faced the setting sun. At his temple in Rome Aeneas arranged a series of funeral games. After
the doors were shut only in times of peace, which his own death, he descended to the underworld
were extremely rare. and met his father and Dido and learned about the
future of his successors,
The Lares and Penates were mainly gods of the
family. A Lar was a protective ancestral spirit, while in other words, Roman history. This story about the
the Penates were household gods, guardians of the ancestry of the Romans through the Trojans via
hearth and storerooms. Each Roman family had its Aeneas and the lands that he founded is regarded
own special gods. However, Roman cities had with great respect by historians.
public Lares and Penates to safeguard them.
According to Roman mythology, the story of the
Priapus, an ugly god with huge genitals, promoted twin brothers tells of the origins of Rome. They
fertility. were the children of Mars and Rhea Silvia and
according to Virgil and many other writers, their
Sylvanus and Faunus were rustic gods of the
adventures were inextricably linked to the
forest and possessed goat-shanks, like Pan. Fauns
foundation of Rome.
were woodland goat-men, and have often been
confused with Satyrs, who had horses' haunches. Born in Alba Longa, they were seen as a threat to
King Amulius and so to save himself he ordered
Flora was a goddess of flowers, fruits, and
them to be abandoned on the banks of the River
springtime.
Tiber. The newborns were left to die but Tiberius,
The Manes were benevolent spirits of the dead, the mythological father of the river, saved them and
good souls, as opposed to the Lemurs (also they survived under his care. A female wolf suckled
Larvae), which were evil discarnates. them in a cave near to Lupercal. Later on, they

Creation Myths and other folkore. Aeneas is the were adopted by a shepherd, Faustulus. Unaware
mythological hero of both of their identity, they grew up working as farmers
and shepherds. But no matter how far they had
Rome and Troy. Homer mentions him in the Illiad come from their original birth parents and home,
as the first cousin of King Priam of Troy. In the their roots did not leave them and their inbuilt
Aeneid, Virgil describes him as a hero and the leadership skills helped them gather many
ancestor of Romulus and Remus. The Aeneid tells supporters. As they grew into adulthood, they
that Aeneas was one among the few Trojans who became involved in an argument between the
were neither killed nor enslaved after Troy was supporters of Amulius and Numitor. As a
defeated. After gathering a group and being consequence, Remus was imprisoned in Alba
commanded by the gods to flee, he traveled to Italy Longa, the very place where he was born. The king
to become the progenitor of the Romans. This team and Remus’ grandfather suspected his real identity.
was called the Aeneads. He carried with him the Meanwhile, Romulus was busy looking for ways to
statues of Trojan gods and planted them in Italy. free his brother. While all this was taking place,
They wandered for six years and finally they both got to know about their real identity, and
settled in Carthage. Here Aeneas and the queen of they joined forces with their grandfather to restore
Carthage, Dido, had a year-long love affair after the throne. Finally, they won and Amulius was
which Dido proposed to him so that they could killed. As they arrived back to the seven hills, they
reign over both the Trojans and the Carthaginians were caught up in an argument about where to
together. Aphrodite (the Roman version of Venus build the city. Romulus preferred Palatine Hill, but
and the mother of Aeneas), with the help of Jupiter, Remus wanted it to be on Aventine Hill. As they
made Aeneas realize his true motives which could not reach an agreement, they asked the gods
caused him to leave the place secretly. The pain of to help by using augury or the interpretation of
his leaving led Dido to utter a curse of enmity over omens. Romulus saw 12 auspicious birds and
Rome. Afterwards, she stabbed herself with the claimed a win as Remus only saw six.
sword that she had given to Aeneas during their This gave rise to a new dispute and eventually
first meeting. The Aeneads then returned to Sicily Remus was killed. Romulus then went on to found
and Aeneas made his final settlement in Latium. To
the city of Rome. A famous folklore is about Janus.
Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, had two
faces, one reflecting the past and the other the
future. Even the month of January owes its name to
Janus. Moreover, it is he who was responsible for
the motions and changes that occur in time. He
played an essential role in ancient Roman myth, for
example, when Romulus kidnapped a Sabine
woman and Janus came into the picture as the
savior. He saved the woman by flooding the way to
her with a volcanic hot spring which buried all the
kidnappers under the ash and boiling water.
(Tashttps://www.ancienthistorylists.com/rome-
history/top-10-interesting- roman-mythology/) The
last famous story about Roman myth and folklore is
about a brave young woman. Cloelia is considered
as the bravest of all women and belonged to the
earliest of Roman history. After the war between
Clusium and Rome came to an end because of a
peace treaty in 508 BC, the Etruscan king, Lars
Porsena, took Roman hostages. One of them was
young Cloelia who fled the hostage camps leading
a group of Roman virgins. She escaped on a horse
and swam across the River Tiber. Lars Porsena
then made a condition for her return. On her return,
Porsena was so impressed by her courage that he
granted her wish to take half of the hostages. She
chose the young Roman men so that the war could
be continued. Her wit and bravery was invaluable to
the Romans and in her honor, an equestrian statue
was built a